Green Culture!

To be honest, I’m not very friendly with environment or, at least, I know that I could do more for it. Anyway, were I live (in my aunt’s house) they separate all plastic bottles, milk cartons, glass and cardboard to be recycled or, more exactly, they save it for give it to a man that recollect that materials to sell it (and recycle).

About government’s contribution to care environment, sincerely, I don’t remember a big “recycling campaign” carried out in our country and I don’t use to see government’s “green points” for recycling in our city (actually in no city) either (except for the Vitacuras’ Municipality, that is a private initiative).  Obviously, they aren’t considering this point in their program and that is worrying. And they aren’t encouraging “green campaigns” in schools or in public places neither, actually they aren’t encouraging anything green, they just want more hydroelectric power stations in our country, what’s happening for god’s sake?

However, the people are still recycling, not the most of them, of course, but there are a lot of environmental groups and independents that are making their best effort, but they still need help.

In our country the most recycled material, clearly, is the glass. We have all seen green containers of COANIQUEM. And that’s very good.  However, we are accumulating and accumulating everyday lots of plastic’s tons. And that can be recycled to! And why nobody or very few people do it?

Other very recycled material is the cardboard (milk cartons, carton boxes, etc.). I know you’ve seen a lot of cardboard harvester all over the city. I admire their hard-work.

And we can’t forget the beer or drink cans. I still believe that someday I will sell my big collection of can taps.

But, what do we need to encourage people to recycling? I don’t have the answer of course, but there are a lot of good ideas, like “green campaigns” for children, more “green points” in our country, to create “recycling jobs” for unemployed people, etc. But everything happens for create a “green conscience” in the people. To give a big incentive to “green culture”.  

Santiago, Santiago, Santiago.

 

I'll be honest. When I arrived to Santiago, definitely hated the city and its people, its noise, its heat, stress, everything. The problem is that I come from a small town without many people, with a slower pace of life, less noisy and, well, with the same heat. So, coming to this city and having to adapt to a new beat of life and different people, was definitely difficult. But I think I eventually have adapted. Now I need to start to like the city, which won’t be easy.

But the situation is complex. The problem is that Santiago has beautiful places (no one disputes it), but that beauty is overshadowed by the lack of culture and respect of the people, besides the contrast between poverty and wealth in one place.

One thing I especially enjoy is to go to the hill (St. Lucia, St. Cristobal, Manquehue, etc.) or walk through the grove. Also in the center of the city we find places, no doubt, very peculiar that will pleasantly surprise us. I totally recommend them. I love the “Barrio Lastarria”.

 About what I hate about this city is definitely the transportation system. It is degrading to have to pile up with other people, having to crush them and squeeze them. And the problem is that people support it, as if already used to that. I'm not saying that the transport system in Talca is better, but keep in mind that Santiago is a larger city, with lots of crowds and lots of money. I don’t think the problem of the system be the money, because it is there.

About changes that would make a better city of Santiago would definitely be: a change of consciousness (know how to care about us) and to educate people and teach them to respect each other. On the other hand, change the transport system or improve it, please. And finally (although there is much to be done) to teach people that they also deserve to be treated with respect and dignity is not a prestige, is a right.  

And tips for visitors (on behalf of a visitor): take care of your belongings, don’t walk the streets at night (we know that Santiago is an interesting city, but surely you can wait for the day), prefer inhabited areas (although avoid crowds). That is to avoid regret later. And to enjoy, visit the center of the city, its museums, its hills (but remember not to go alone), its parks. No doubt there are many places that will surprise you. But if you really want to know the true face of Santiago, take a bus to the south of the city, you will realize that may not be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen, and may have to pay a toll, and may come home without any of your belongings, but those are the people who work every day to keep this city afloat. That is the people of Chile.

Violeta is beyond the sky...



Hello partners, today I believe I have the opportunity to remember a very special person.  I don’t have any doubt about it. She is Violeta Parra, the best singer-songwriter and compiler of the entire history of our country. She is definitely unique, incomparable. I really admire her. She was like an anthropologist too, she travel around of all our country, meeting people, collecting the songs of the country, the north and the south. Her music is wonderful, a really piece of art. She was a complete artist. Besides singing, she painted, made beautiful burlaps and encouraged traditional craft. She was a really passionate person, his art isn’t noiseless, it talks to you, make you feel her feelings. Her voice is the voice of the people, their joys and sorrows, their successes and fails, their fears; a denounce of the abuse committed to them.

But I can’t explain to myself why did she commit suicide, what happened? We all have trouble, you know. She was brilliant, but why did she do that? That’s what I would ask for her, why did you do that Violeta?

When I remembered the indifference that she received, the lack of support of her popular project, I feel like helpless. I would have wished to be with her at that moment, to back her.

I’m really sorry that, after 30 years, and even more, we didn’t listen to her. We made “deaf ears” and “blind eyes”.

But, do you know what? She finally achieved her purpose. There are a lot of young people that is reviving folklore and I’m very proud of that. Not everything is lost. And I feel this is just the beginning.

A rooster...no way

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all well. Let’s talk about “Chinese Zodiac Signs” (I don’t really trust them and I also don’t care about the horoscope, but I have to recognize that there are some coincidences – and I don`t believe about coincidences neither).

Ok, accord to the “Chinese Zodiac Signs” I suppose to be rooster (¿?). Weird, doesn’t it, I can imagine myself crowing and pecking, and is really funny, actually.

Reading about the description of “us”, there are some traits that represent me, I think, but there are others that definitely don’t. For example, “roosters are extremely sociable”…Mmmm Ok, I think I know myself enough and I’m definitely not sociable at all.  Also (accord to the Chinese) “we” prefer to be the center of attention…And I hate to be the center of everything, I love to be “anonymous”.

But, on the other hand, there are some things that I agree with the CZ.   For example, we suppose to be trustworthy … and I really like that people trust me. But, also, I would like to can trust them.  Reciprocity, I love that word and its meaning.

And we also suppose to have successful careers. Yeah, I hope so, really.

But, in short, I don’t think this sign in specific represent me very well, there are some traits that I definitely don’t have (“successful dancers or musicians”…no, at all!) and the others that suppose to represent me are the least of it. So, Chinese guys, I AM NOT A ROOSTER, you’re wrong! 

About the other signs (Capricorn, Leo, Virgo, etc.), I’m very comfortable with Aries (a goat is better than a rooster, I think). But I don’t use to read the horoscope much so, I don’t really care.  

Ok, I’m done. Bye people.

We aren't going to die this year! Wo-ho.

 I know this headline could have nothing to do with my area of studio, but actually it haves to. Why? Because, accord to the news I’ve seen just a few minutes ago – about an archaeologist that refuted the current interpretation about the Mayan tablet (“the world is going to end on December 21^th, 2012”), the world is actually not going to end this year (ufffff….yeah).

After this affirmation, I’m now going to talk about this news article. It’s called “Mayan tablet does not predict end of the world in 2012, says expert” (and is actually the same thing I said before) and it’s based on the hypothesis proposed by the German archaeologist Sven Gronemeyer of La Trobe University (Australia), who presented this interpretation of the hieroglyphs at the archaeological site of Palenque in southern Mexico.

Gronemeyer has spent a lot of time studying those tablets (found in the archaeological site of Tortuguero, Gulf coast state of Tabasco, Mexico) and conclude that the inscription on the tablet just relate the alleged return of a Mayan god, called “Bolon Yokte”, that is supposed to happen on this year, after a period of 5.200 years (approximately). There’s nothing else. Just the end of an era, a transition time, the beginning of a new era with the Bolon Yokte’s arrival, not the end of the world”. Reassuring, doesn’t it? Anyway, he adds that this is very symbolic, because it reflects a “new creation”, the beginning of a new cycle (like an “eternal return”). Very interesting.

I don’t know you, but I’m little disappoint and happy, at the same time. Disappoint because I was spiritually preparing myself for this catastrophe (I had to!) and happy because I think we aren’t going to die. A little of hope, I think. 








Check it by yourself on:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/dec/01/mayan-tablet-end-world-2012

An unforgettable Christmas (dinner)

Hi people, how are you today?

I think this post will be easier for me because this Christmas, in particular, was very special. And why? Because it was the first time in my life I spent it without my family (parents and brothers). (I’m not from Santiago, but I didn’t travel this time because it would have been very sad for me to say good bye them just the next day of Christhmas, and I specially hate farewells).But I have to say it wasn’t so terrible, I mean, I missed them hard (especially my parents), but I had a great time, anyway. I wasn’t with them, but there were my uncles and my cousins with me. I like them very much too; they’re like my second family. Although my uncles are old (the younger have 57), we’re very close.

I was very tempted of eating stuffed turkey this year, so my uncles and I agreed to cook that meal. I bought all the ingredients (except the green apple, I didn’t want to pay three thousands pesos for 8 apples, but now I regretted that). I was so excited, I thought it would be a very good meal, but I was wrong. L I mean, everything was perfect, a lot of salads, good drinks, everybody happy, until we tasted the turkey. Actually the turkey was fine, but stuffed was awful. And I got very sad, everybody watched me like saying: “thanks, but no thanks” and I realized that that stuffed turkey would be the last for, at least, a long time. But I was well-intentioned. Anyway, I think it wasn’t enough.

So, piece of advice: Never, but NEVER try to invent a new recipe if you don’t know how to cook. A single ingredient can be very good by it’s one, but put a lot of “good” ingredients into a single paste could be a disaster. Trust me; I know what I’m talking about.

Bye J

The power of language.

Hello partners, today is a great day. The topic for today is language.

All of this began when we saw a long, but very interesting video about language. I really enjoyed it because “illuminate me”. Really, I hadn’t thought about that, although is very clear. We have evolved thanks of language, it’s one of our biggest tool to communicate and to learn. One of the most striking Mark Pagel’s sentences was: “Language is a piece of social technology for enhancing the benefits of cooperation”. Social Technology? Brilliant. I mean, let’s think a case: we have to get food from the supermarket…but, we are in another country, with another language. What do we do? We can’t just talk to the people and say: “Hi, I need a chicken”. They won’t understand us because we don`t speak the same language! It’s like a “bird without wings”, like Pagel said.

The power of language is really amazing, we can “implant our thoughts in other people minds”, for example, “language is the voice of our genes”.

That makes me think about my own language: “Chilean Spanish”. I mean, we are nothing in the global community. That’s the reason because I want to learn English, I want “to be part of the world”.

Mark Pagel was finally right (again): Our destiny is to be a one world with (only) one language.

I think that language is already well-defined: ENGLISH.

Bye.-